Resetting arrangement for movably mounted supply containers



United States Patent Inventors Owen J. Schwertteger, and

Roy A. JohnsomChicago, Illinois Sept. 12, 1968 Nov. 3, 1970 By mesne assignments, to The Seeburg Corporation of Delaware, Chicago, Illinois, a corporation of Delaware.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee RESETTING ARRANGEMENT FOR MOVABLY MOUNTED SUPPLY CONTAINERS 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl... 221/187 int. Cl A24f 15/04 Field of Search 22 i i 86,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 840,272 1/1907 Vierling 221/186 3,348,732 10/1967 Schwarz 221/123 FOREIGN PATENTS 712,450 6/1965 Canada 221/123 572,991 3/1933 Germany 221/123 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Attorney-Ronald L. Engel, Daniel W. .Vittum, .lr., and Comer W. Walters ABSTRACT: Return of a releasably latched reciprocable member from an unlatched position to a position beyond its normally latched position, without engaging other reciprocable members retained in their latched positions, is achieved by using a pivoted reset arm adjacent each reciprocable member and a rotatable lever mounted on each reciprocable member.

i Each lever is biased so that it may be engaged by its associated reset arm when the reciprocable member on which it is mounted is in its unlatched position, but is not engagable by its reset arm when the reciprocable member is in its latched position.

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 3,537,614

I66 INVENTO/PS.

OWE/V J. SCHWERTFEGER R0) 4. JOHNSON Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Sheet rg RESETTING ARRANGEMENT FOR MQVABLY MOUNTED SUPPLY (.ON'I'AINERS BACKGROUND OF 'rns lNVENTlON 1. Field of the invention This invention generally relatesto a-resetting arrangemen for reciprocably movablemembers and, more specifically, this invention relates to a resetting arrangement for returning a movable trayof a vending machine to arposition beyond its normally latched position without causing motion of any of the other trays in the machine.

2. Description of the Prior Art Vending machines'have recently been devised in which a tray carrying vendable articles is selectively movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. A tray holding a particular article isnormally moved to its unlatched position in response to selectionof the article by an operator of the machine. After the desired article is removed from ,the

machine, the selected tray is rcturnedto its original latched position before the initiation of another vend cycle. To insure proper relatching (and in some instances to operate additional control functionsof the machine) a selected tray is normally returned to an overshoot position somewhat beyond its normally latched position.

A vending, machine of the foregoing type is describedin detail in U.S. Pat.application'SenNo. 759,478 entitled Article Vending Apparatus,-filed Sept. l2, 1968 in the names of A. G. Bodoh, O. i.l.; Schwertfeger and"R.,A. Johnson, and assigned to thesame assigneeas this application. Although the machine described-thereinachievesmany advantages when compared with analogous priorart vending machines, the requirement of returning a selected tray to its iatchedposition before the initiation of a subsequent vend cycle; raises serious problems that could potentially limit the usefulness of the machine. in order to operate ina ,quiet and trouble-free manner,-a machineof the foregoing type must be able to return a selected tray toitsovershoot andziatched positions without engaging'othertrays retained in their latched positions during the vend ,cycle. 'lfall trays were driven to their overshoot positions duringfthe returnof a selected tray, undesirable noise, together with excessive wear of certain mechanical portions oftheapparatuswould result.

Although the design of the tray return apparatus is especially critical in systemsin which a selected tray is returned to an overshoot position, analogous problems .would exist in a system in which a selected tray is returned directly to its latched position. Thet -is, any tendency of the tray return apparatus to engage trays retained in their latched positions would tend to create undesirable noise and wear.

Accordingly, it is a-prima'ry object of thepresent invention to provide apparatus'for returning a reciprocable member such as a selected unlatched .tray to its latched position without engaging reciprocablc members retained in their latched positions.

it is another object of the present invention toprovide apparatus for returninga selected tray to an overshoot position beyond its latched position without engaging trays held in their latched positions.

it is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the foregoing typecomprising only mechanical parts.

SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION in order to achieve the return of an unlatched reciprocable member, such as a tray, to its latched position, the subject invention, in its preferred embodiment,'basically comprises a return means such as individual reset arms each movable along a predetermined ope'ratingpath associated with a particular tray; and a plurality of lever means each connected to a tray and each movable between a first position and a second position. Each lever means, in its first position, lies in the operating path of its associated reset arm when its associated tray is in its unlatched position and lies outside the operating path of its associated reset arm when its associated tray is in its latched position. As a result, only a reset arm associated with a selected tray that has been moved to its unlatched position engages its associated lever means.

in an especially preferred embodiment of the present invention, each lever means comprises a lever that is normally biased in its first position against a stop member. if a selected tray is moved to its unlatched position, its associated lever is moved with the tray so that it lies in the operating path of its associated reset arm. After an article is removed from the selected tray, all of the reset arms are moved along their operating paths so that the selected reset arm associated with the selected tray engages the lever connected thereto. As the reset arms continue to move, the selected tray is returned toward its latched position and the lever is simultaneously rotated away from its stop member toward its second position. As the selected reset arm'reaches the limit of its engagement with the lever (i.e., as the lever approaches its second position), the tray is moved past its normally latched position to an overshoot position. Thereafter, the reset arms are automatieally returned to their original positions and the lever is biased sociated reset arm as long as the tray is latched, subsequent actuation of the reset arms in subsequent vend cycles have no effect on the tray. Accordingly, the described apparatus enables a selected tray to be returned to its overshoot and latched positions without engaging or affecting the trays held in their latched positions during the vend cycle.

Use of the present invention in a vending machine having movable trays eliminates one of the primary difficulties encountered in connectionwith such devices. By using the novel apparatus described herein, only a selected tray extended to its unlatchedposition-is engaged by the return apparatus, thereby eliminating any possibility of generating noise or mechanical wear clue to contact of the return apparatus with trays held in their latched positions. Thus, the use of the present invention results in smooth, trouble-free operation and is an important prerequisite for the commercial success of such a vending machine.

DESCRlPTlON OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing objects, advantages and features of the subject invention will'hereinafter appear and, for purposes of iilustration, but not of .limitation, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elcvational view of a preferred form of the present invention shown in connection with a vending machine tray that is secured in its latched position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of apparatus similar to that shown in FIG. 1, wherein a tray is moved to its unlatched or vend position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, front eievational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, wherein the tray is moved to its overshoot position; and 7 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a vending machine incorporating the preferred form of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EM BODlMENT Referring to the drawings, a preferred form of the present invention for use in association with a vending machine generally indicated by the number 10 would include a cabinet 12, a tray assembly 40, a' carriage assembly 100, a return assembly 140, and a lever assembly 200.

As shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, cabinet 12 comprises a vertically oriented front wall 14, a vertically oriented rear wall 16, a left-hand wall IS, a right-hand wall and a top wall 26. The cabinet also includes a ramp 24 that is used to slide vendable articles to a dispensing shelf 22 that is accessible to an operator of the vending machine. Shelves -33 are suspended between walls 18 and 20 in order to support tray assembly 40.

Tray assembly 40 comprises tray rows 42-45 that are suspended on shelves 30-33, respectively. Since each of the tray rows is suspended on its respective shelf in an identical manner, only row 42 will be described in detail. Tray row 42 basically comprises trays 54-63 arranged so that sufficient space is left between each of the trays to accommodate portions of return assembly 140 and lever assembly 200 in a manner described hereafter. Each of the trays 54-63 is held in the position shown in Fig. 4 (hereafter called the latched position) by latches 68-77, respectively. The latches are released by actuation of selector buttons such as those schematically illustrated and identified as 80, 85-87. The linkage between selector buttons 80, 85-87 and the related latches is not shown, and forpurposes of this application it suffices to note that actuation of a selector button releases the associated latch to permit the corresponding tray to be moved from its latched position. If the trays are unlatched, each is urged toward a position to the rear of the position shown in FIG. 4 (i.e., a position toward rear wall 16) hereafter called the unlatched" or vend" position. When a tray is moved to its unlatched position, articles may be conveniently removed therefrom by carriage assembly 100. Each of the trays is urged toward its unlatched position by a pusher element (not shown) normally held within the tray. Each of the pusher elements is a crucifix-shaped device which is spring biased toward rear wall 16 and is urged against a row of articles 82. Thus the pusher element not only urges articles 82 toward a rear portion 84 of tray 54, but also urges tray 54 toward its vend position. For a more detailed description of .the pusher elements reference may be made to the above-identified application entitled "Article Vending Apparatus (particularly FIGS. 38 and 41).

The latched and unlatched positions assumed by various trays during the operation of the vending machine are also described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein trays 54 and 88 are illustrated.

FIG. 1 illustrates the manner in which tray 54 is held in its latched position. As described in the drawing, latch 68 (illustrated herein only schematically) grasps a front edge 96 of tray 54 in order to prevent its pusher element from moving the tray to the right of the position shown in FIG. 1. If latch 68 were operated to release edge 96, the pusher element would move the tray to its unlatched position.

An example of a tray moved to its unlatched position is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in the drawing, a front edge 97 ofa tray 88 (positioned in row 43) is displaced to the rear of its associated latch 92 and is positioned adjacent carriage assembly 100. When tray 88 is moved to its vend position as shown in FIG. 2, an article, such as article 98, may be removed from the tray by the upward movement of carriage assembly 100.

Carriage assembly 100 basically comprises a chain 102 looped around sprockets I04, 106 and a chain 108 looped around sprockets 110, 112. A platform 120 is suspended between chains 102 and 108 and is movable in a vertical direction therewith. If platform 120 were moved upward from the position shown in FIG. 4 while tray 88 were in its vend position shown in FIG. 2, the platform would remove article 98 from the tray and deposit it on ramp 24. The article would then slide down ramp 24 onto dispensing shelf 22 where it would be accessible to an operator of the machine. A detailed description of the carriage and the manner in which it removes articles from the trays is described in detail in the aboveidentified patent application entitled Article Vending Apparatus".

Carriage assembly 100 also comprises a spring-biased aetuating cam member 122 that is connected to the assembly below platform 120. As shown in FIG. 1, the cam member has an upper surface 124 and an outer edge 126. With tray 88 in the position shown in FIG. 2, the upward movement of the platform toward ramp 24 causes cam member 122 to engage the return assembly and to ultimately move tray 88 to the position shown in FIG. 3 (hereinafter called the overshoot position). As shown in FIG. 3, when tray 88 is in its overshoot position, front edge 97 is positioned to the front of latch 92 (i.e., positioned between latch 92 and front wall 14). Additional upward movement of cam member 122 releases the return assembly in a manner described hereafter. and, in turn, allows tray 88 to be moved to its latched position by its springbiased pusher element. The trays in the vending machine are returned to their overshoot positions in order to insure proper latching action and to enable auxiliary equipment (not described herein) to be conveniently operated.

Although the movement of the trays to overshoot positions prior to latching is convenient for some purposes, it tends to create noise and vibration, as well as mechanical wear on the latches. The noise and mechanical wear can be tolerated when only a single selected tray is involved, but would become intolerable if all trays in the machine were moved in a similar manner during each vend cycle. Moreover, the same difficulties would arise, to a lesser degree, in a system in which each tray is returned to its latched position without first passing through an overshoot position.

In order to minimize the noise and mechanical wear involved in the process of relatching the trays, the present invention incorporates novel return and lever assemblies arranged so that only the selected tray moved to its unlatched position is engaged during the relatching operation. Trays retained in their latched positions during a vend cycle remain unaffected by the return of the selected tray. The return and lever assemblies that achieve this novel mode of operation are constructed as follows.

Generally speaking, return assembly comprises ap paratus that is identical with respect to each row of trays in the machine. For example, regarding the portion of return assembly 140 associated with tray row 42, the assembly comprises a crank arm 142 located adjacent left-hand wall 18, and a shaft that is rotatably journaled between walls 18 and 20 at a position below shelf 30.

More particularly, crank arm 142 comprises a first arm 143 on which is mounted a roller 144 by means of a rod 146. As best seen in FIG. 1, roller 144 is adapted to coact with upper surface 124 of cam member 122. Crank arm 142 also comprises a second arm 147 that includes a hole 148. A bias spring 150 has one end connected through hole 148 and a second end connected to a fixed portion of the cabinet 152.

The portion of return assembly 140 associated with shaft 150 also comprises a series of reset arms connected to the shaft at spaced intervals. Each reset arm is associated with a tray in row 42. Since each of the reset arms is identical, only reset arm 154 associated with tray 54 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, arm 154 includes a ledge portion 156 and a curved portion 158 that are adapted to engage portions of lever assembly 200 in a manner described hereafter.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, return assembly 140 also comprises a shaft 168 that is rotatably journaled in walls [8 and 20 in a position below shelf31. A crank arm 164 and a reset arm 166 associated with tray 88 are connected to shaft 168 in the positions shown. A spring 170 analogous to spring 150 is connected between-crank arm 164 and a fixed portion of the cabinet. Of course, additional reset arms associated with each tray in row 43 are also located on shaft 168. The remaining crank arms, reset arms, and shafts associated with tray rows 44 and 45 are identical to the analogous parts associated with rows Hand 43 and may be understood with reference to the preceding description thereof.

Lever assembly 200 basically comprises a separate lever attached to each tray used in the vending machine. Each of the levers is identical and is placed on its tray in an identical manner. Accordingly, only the lever used in connection with tray 54 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 1, a lever 202 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 204 that is connected to a left-hand wall205 of tray 54. The lever comprises a first arm 206 that has a curved end 208 and a flat portion 209' that are periodically engaged by the curved and ledge portions, respectively, of reset arm 154. The

lever also comprises a second arm 210 that terminates in a mass 212. The mass normally biases the lever in the position shown in FIG. 1 against a stop member 214 that is mounted to left-hand wall 205 by a bracket 216. As shown in FIG. 1, the curved end of lever 202 is normally positioned on the tray so that it falls outside the path of movement of reset arm 154 (identified by the curve lettered A) when tray 54 is in its positioned on tray 88 so that it lies in the operating path of reset arm 166 (identified by the curve lettered A) when tray 88 is in its unlatched or vend position.

The operation .of the return and the lever assemblies will now be described. Assuming the operator of the vending machine selects an article located in tray 88, latch 92 is released so that the associated pusher element moves the tray to its vend (unlatched) position (i.e., the position shown in FIG. 2) whereat lever 220 is engageable by reset arm 166. As previously explained, platform 120 is raised vertically by chains 102 and 108 so that article 98 is removed from tray 88. Thereafter, platform 120 continues to move in an upward direction until article 98 is deposited on ramp 24. As platform 120 moves upward, upper surface 124 of cam member 122 engages the roller of crank arm 164 and rotates it in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. Rotation of the crank arm rotates shaft 168, which, in turn, rotates reset arm 166 in a counterclockwise direction along path A. As the reset arm moves, it engages the curved end of lever 220 and applies a farce thereto in the general direction indicated by arrow ll (hill. 21. The force oi the reset arm against the lever moves tray 88 toward its latched position.

As the reset arm continues to move in a counterclockwise direction, it begins to apply a component of force in the direction indicated by arrow C, so that lever 2 is rotated in a clockwise directiort(as viewed in FIG. 2) away fromits stop member 222. As the reset arm continues to rotate due to the upward movement of cam member 122, front edge 97 of tray 88 is moved past latch 92 until the tray assumes its overshoot position illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the reset arm and the first arm 221 of lever 220 engaged therewith are oriented in nearly horizontal positions, and crank arm 164 is oriented in a nearly vertical position.

Continued upward movement of cam member 122 beyond the position shown in FIG. 3 releases crank arm 164 and reset arm 166. Spring 170 then rotates the crank arm and reset ar'ms connected to shaft 168 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 3) until the arms again assume the positions shown in FIG. 2. Rotation of the reset arm 166 in a clockwise direction releases lever 220 so that it returns to a position against its stop member 222. Rotation of the reset arm away from lever 220 also releases tray 88 so that it is returned to its latched position by theaction of its pusher element.

After cam member 122 releases crank arm 164, the cam member continues to travel upward until its upper surface 124 engages crank arm 142 of tray 54. Continued upward movemeat of cam member 122 rotates reset arm 154 in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 1) along operating path A until the reset arm assumes a nearly horizontal position and the crank arm assumes a nearly vertical position. However, since lever 202 is not located in the operating path A of reset arm 154 while tray 54is in its latchediposition (i.e., the position illustrated in FIG. 1), the lever is not engaged by the reset arm, and the tray is completely unaffected by the operation thereof. Since all other trays retained in their latched positions have their levers and associated reset arms located in the relative positions shown in connection with tray 54 in FIG. 1, they also are unaffected by the movement of the return assembly during the vending of article 98 from tray 88. As a result, any

; noise or mechanical'shock encountered during the vend cycle will be limited to tray 88 as it is returned to its overshoot and latched positions. Moreover, since lever 220 associated with tray 88 is returned to its position against stop member 222 after it is released by reset arm 166, lever 220 will not lie in the operating path of arm 166 as long as tray 88 is retained in its latched position. Accordingly, subsequent actuation of the return assembly due to the vending of articles from other trays will have no effect on lever 220 or tray 88.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment adapted for use in a vending machine, it should be understood that various changes, modifications, and variations in the structure of the embodiment and the environment in which it is used may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus having a longitudinally reciprocable member movable on a frame between a latched position and an unlatched position, a resetting arrangement for returning the member from its unlatched to its latched position compristag: i

return means. mounted on the frame, said return means being movable through a predetermined operating path 1 between a first point and a second point; lever means connected to the reciprocable member, said lever means being movable between a first position and a second position in' relationship to the reciprocable member;

positioning means for locating the lever means on the reciprocable member so that said lever means in its first position lies in the operating path of said return means when the reciprocable member is in its unlatched position and lies outside the operating path of said return means when the reciprocable member iii in illt latched position: actuating means operative when the reciprocable member is in its unlatched position for moving said return means from its first to its second points, whereby said lever means is moved from its first to its second position and the reciprocable member is simultaneously moved from its unlatched to its latched position; and

bias means operative after the reciprocable member is returned to its latched position for returning said lever means from its second position to its first position, so that said lever means is unaffected by additional actuation of said return means as long as the reciprocable member remains in its latched position.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises a cam member movable in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the reciprocable member is moved between its latched and unlatched positions.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said return means comprises a crank arm normally biased in the path of said actuating means and a reset arm operatively connected to said crank arm and adapted to engage said lever means.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bias means comprises a mass connected to said lever means.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said mass urges said lever means against a stop member, whereby said lever means associated with each reciprocable member. each said lever means being normally urged toward a first position and being movable to a second position with respect to its associated rcciprocable member;

positioning means for mounting each said lever means on its associated reciprocable member so that each said lever means in its first position is unengageable by its associated return means if its associated reciprocable member is in its latched position, and is engageable by its associated return means if its associated reciprocablc member is inits unlatched position;

actuating means for'moving'eaeh of the return means along its respective operating path from its first toward its second points, whereby each lever means associated with a reciprocable member in its latched position is unengaged, and each lever means associated with a reciprocable member in its unlatched position is engaged, so that each said unlatched reciprocable member is moved toward its latched position and its associated lever means is moved toward its second position; and

bias means for returning each of the return means to its first point, whereby the lever means associated with each previously unlatched reciprocable member is allowed to return to its first position.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein the reciprocable members are located in a plurality of rows, and

the return means comprises:

ing means comprises a cam movable in a plane perpendicular to the planes of movement of the reciprocable members.

9. A combination as claimed in claim 6 wherein the bias means comprises a spring arrangement operatively connected to the return means. 

